Mountain Men raise $4,300 for scholarship in name of Madison Weeks

Thursday

Jun 12, 2014 at 3:15 AM

By John Nolanjnolan@fosters.com

STRAFFORD — Back in February, during a snowstorm, 7-year-old Madison Weeks was fatally injured in a vehicle crash on Route 202. The daughter of Rob and Lori Weeks, she was a student at Strafford Elementary School, and was described as someone with “the kindest soul in the world.”

Now, thanks to the members of the Mountain Men Motorcycle Club, a scholarship is being established in her name, which will eventually be allocated to someone in her graduating class.

Mountain Man Josh Colwell, a former candidate for mayor of Rochester, is a friend of the Weeks family, and a week or so after the tragedy, he told them that the motorcycle club would like to put on a ride to raise money for a commemorative scholarship.

“I had brought the idea to the club, and they were all for it,” said Colwell, “so I told Rob and Lori, and they said they were honored.”

“It was our honor to do something for the family,” added Colwell.

The event was organized over the past three months, and at 10 a.m. on June 7, under a cloudless sky, 130 bikes set off from Strafford School, heading for Alton.

“We didn’t put ‘Mountain Men’ on the fliers because we didn’t want to scare anyone away,” said Colwell, acknowledging that the motorcycle club has not always been portrayed in such a favorable light. “Some people might have thought we would skim off the top, or something.”

The Mountain Men’s ranks were supplemented on this ride by American Legion Riders from Rollinsford and Rochester, and by many regular bikers rallying to the cause. Each rider paid $20, pillion passengers paid $10, and there were raffles and a 50/50, said Colwell, all of which contributed to the $4,300 in proceeds.

The first stop on the ride was the Alton Legion Post, reached via Route 28, and from there, the bikers headed down Route 11 to the Hawg’s Pen in Farmington. After that the riders called in at the Publick House in Rochester, and then wound up at the Rollinsford Legion Post.

“Rob was at every stop, and Lori was at the start in Strafford, and then at the Rollinsford Post. We had music and a full spread down there,” said Colwell, paying tribute to Lori Weeks for her major contribution in organizing the event.

Pretty in pink

The color chosen for the T-shirts for the event, the Mountain Men’s macho reputation notwithstanding, was bright pink, as this was Madison Weeks’ favorite color.

“This was all out of love,” said Colwell. “It was all about family.”

He thanked the many volunteers and sponsors of the event, and all the participants.

Colwell said the proceeds from the ride were turned over to Rob and Lori Weeks to establish a trust account for the scholarship.

Lori Weeks, speaking on Monday, described the event as “wonderful” and asked that her post-event entry on the Madison Weeks Facebook page, which is jointly hosted by her and Colwell, be quoted.

She wrote: “I have come to realize there are no words to describe the gratitude one feels when friends, family and strangers surround you in support for your child... no words to say thank you when the sound of motorcycles revving causes your heart to skip a beat because you know for sure that your child will never be forgotten ... that her light will never dim ... that her love has spread farther today and will continue to always do so ... no words to express the gratitude you feel when strangers become friends, friends family and family does what family is supposed to do.

“To say I miss Maddi is incredibly inadequate and saying thank you to all who donated, volunteered, rode and participated in Madison’s Memorial Ride would be incredibly insufficient. Our family is forever indebted to each and every one of you, for you are the catalyst that will allow Maddi’s life and love to continue. That being said, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Weeks said she was taking financial advice on the best way to set up a trust account for the scholarship money, which will eventually be given, she said, to one of Madison’s graduating classmates in 2025.

“We have 11 years to build up the fund,” said Colwell. “Hopefully we will do this every year.”